Linked jaw pipe wrench with adjustable link pivot



Aug; 31, 1948. o, v JONES 2,448,221

LINKED JAW PIPE WRENCH WITH ADJUSTABLE LINK PiVOT Filed March 12, 1945 Patented Aug. 31, 1948 LINKED J AW PIPE WRENCH WITH ADJUSTABLE LINK PIVOT Oscar V. Jones, Dallas, Tex. Application March 12, 1945, Serial No. 582,231

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to wrenches and tongs and it has particular reference to break-out tones for well pipe.

The objects of the invention are; first: to provide jaws whose fulcrum point is displaceable to effect basic adjustment of the jaws to adapt the tong to work of diiferent diameters; second: to provide a saddle yoke for holding the jaws in adjusted position; third: to provide complementary inserts for the jaws to adapt them to work of comparatively small diameter, and fourth: to provide a handle so pivoted to one ofthe jaws opposite the fulcrum point of the latter that certain protuberances carried by and opposing the pivotal point of the handle will, on the one hand, limit the pivotal movement of the handle to govern the positioning of the tong with respect to the work and on the other hand, will secure the jaws about the work with increasing uniform pressure circumferentially distributed, in corresponding relation to pressure imposed on the handle.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereof a tong conshowing the Figure 1 is a perspective view structed according to the invention, jaws closed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the opposite side of the tong, slightly enlarged, showing the jaws slightly open, a portion of one of the jaws being broken away to show the end of a work engaging slip.

Figure 3 is a plan view, partly in section.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the tong.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the saddle yoke, and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the fulcrum block.

Continuing with a more detailed view of the drawing, reference numeral III denotes a major work engaging jaw whose pivotal relationship with the minor work engaging jaw II is eifected through the medium of a fulcrum block I2, shown in detail in Figure 6. The pivotal end of jaw III is formed to define a housing I3, in which the block I2 is slidably disposed. The jaw II has corresponding ears I4 formed thereon between which the end of the block I2 is interposed and pivoted by means of a pin I5, passing through openings in the ears I4 and an aperture IS in the tail of the block I2. It is apparent that through this arrangement the jaws I0 and II may be relatively displaced a distance equal to the spacing between the housing I3 of jaw I0 and the head ll of the block I2 which limits the degree of displacement. The jaws may thus be adapted to work of large diameter.

In order to secure the jaws against the displaced position described, a saddle yoke such as shown in Figure 5 is employed and which consists of a yoke formed of arms I8 which straddle the block I2 between the housing I3 of jaw I0 and the head I1 of the block. The wedging action thus afforded by the yoke securely holds the jaws against relative displacement at their pivotal point, yet is ineffective to prevent free and unrestricted pivotal movement of jaw II on the pin I5. When the yoke I8 is in the described position, the jaws l0 and I I are in relative positions for application to work of smaller diameter.

The yoke I8 is secured to the housing I3 of the jaw III through the medium of a tail portion I9, in which there is provided a slot 20, through which a bolt 2| is passed into a threaded opening in the housing I3, so that the tail portion I9 may be longitudinally displaced to adjust the position of the yoke l8 relative to the block I2. During periods when the tong is adapted for work of larger diameter, the yoke is removed from the position shown to permit the jaws to be moved apart so that the housing I3 will abut the head I1 of the block l2. The yoke is then replaced, but with the arms I8 thereof bearing on the top of the head H of the block. When thus disposed, the yoke obviously functions to hold the jaws apart at their pivotal ends.

At the opposite end of jaw ID, the flanges of the jaw are extended to provide bifurcations 23 between which is pivotally held, by means of pin 22, a handle 24.

The handle 24 has an arm or protuberance 2'5 which extends between the flanges of the jaw II] to lie against the body of the jaw in some cases to limit the degree of relative movement of the jaw and handle. On the opposite side of the pivotal point 22 of the handle, there is provided another protuberance 26 which bears upon a cam surface 21, formed upon the body of jaw II at its end.

When the jaw II is closed upon the work, the

handle 24 is actuated to bring the protuberance 26 into engagement with the cam surface 21 and as pressure is increased on the handle, pressure of the jaws is correspondingly increased on the work but such pressure is uniformly distributed about the pipe to obviate tendency to crush the same.

ments 29 for purposes of illustration. .These' segments are each recessed at a to accommodate the teeth 28 and may, themselves, be similarly equipped with gripping teeth 52. To hold the segments in place, suitable bolts are passed through the walls of the segments at their midsections and through holes 33 in the jaws, with nuts threaded onto their outer ends. The inner heads of the bolts are, of course, countersunk in the inner walls or" the segments 29.

In some cases it may be desired to secure the tong onto a pipe section with sufiicient clearance between the pipe and jaws to permit the latter to ratchet thereon. To look the jaws against release from the pipe while the tong is recipro cated to rotate the pipe, a set screw 34 is threaded through the arm 25 to bear against the jaw H1, as shown in Figure 3 and by setting this screw, relative spacing between the protuberance 25 of the handle and the cam surface 27 of jaw I! may be predetermined, thus predetermining the degree of greater expansion of the jaws. It is obvious that means other than the screw 34 may be employed for the purpose explained and the screw has been shown for purposes of illustration.

It is apparent also that with but slight, if any modification, the tong described herein may be adapted for use by plumbers, steam-fitters and others engaged in the handling and assembling of pipe and tubing.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe wrench comprising a pair of semicircular pipe engaging jaws, one of which has a handle pivoted to one end thereof and a housing formed on its opposite end, a fulcrum block slidable in said housing having a head on one end and a transverse opening in its opposite end, the other of said jaws having parallel ears between which said block is received, a pivot bolt extending through said ears and the opening in said block, a substantially U-shaped yoke whose parallel arms are receivable by said block to be disposed between the head of the latter and said jaw'housing, a tail on said yoke at right angles thereto adapted to bear against said housing and having an elongated slot therein, a bolt extending through said slot into said jaw housing to secure said yoke and to hold said jaws in adjusted pivotal relationship through the medium of saidfulcrum block.

2. A pipe wrench comprising a pair of semicircular pipe engaging jaws, one of said jaws having a handle pivoted on one end, a housing on the opposite end of said jaw, a fulcrum block having a transverse head on one end and adapted to be slidableilongitudinally in the housing of said jaw, means pivotally connecting the other of said jaws at one end to the opposite end of said fulcrum block for relative displacement of said jaws, a yoke disposableibetween thehead of said fulcrum block and said jaw'housing, a tail formed on said yoke at right angles thereto adapted to bear against said'jaw housing and having an elongated slot therein and means passing through said slot into said jaw housing to hold said yoke in adjusted positions.

OSCAR. V. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number v Name Date 596,505 Hawthorn Jan. 4, 1898 678,809 Wilkison July 16, 1901 736,372 Fasenmeyer Aug. 18, 1903 1,635,031 Champion July 5, 1927 1,726,064 Goldstraw Aug. 27, 1929 1,845,400 Cummings Feb. 16, 1932 

